Kimberly Akimbo
Book & Lyrics by David Lindsay- Abaire, Music by Jeanine Tesoro
Review by Ernest Edwards
I went to the closing performance of the National Tour of the Broadway musical Kimberly Akimbo at the Ordway Sunday evening. It’s part of the Broadway @ The Ordway 2025/2026 season.
What I loved from the program was the description of when the musical takes place. “1999. Before kids had cell phones. Somewhere in Bergen County, NJ.” The musical is a small cast of 9, who do big things.
This musical did win the Tony Award for best musical in 2023.
The story is about Kimberly, who just turned 16. Kimberly has Progeria. For the tour, she is played by Ann Morrison, who was part of the original Broadway production of Merrily We Roll Along back in 1981. I missed the tour of Kimberly Akimbo when it was at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Minneapolis in Spring 2025. I was happy that the Ordway had it in downtown St. Paul for one week with the dates of February 24, 2026 - March 1, 2026. It was worth the wait for me. Kimberly and her parents just moved to town. Kimberly is trying to make new friends at the local high school and is going to the ice skating rink with the other high school kids. Her parents are expecting another child. They are hoping this next child will be “normal”.
We learn why Kimberly and her parents moved. They ran away from something her Aunt Debra did. Debra is now in town and up to no good. Instead of getting a job at the local Costco, Debra decides to get into check fraud.
This musical has a lot of heart of and soul. Kimberly finds a new circle of friends. Finds the strength to live life on her own terms, and is allowed to follow her dreams.
I really liked the scenery by David Zinn. It was a unit set, but had lots of reveals. Scenery appeared and disappeared effortlessly. The scenery transformed between the house, to the high school, the high schools library, a classroom, the skating rink, to Kimberly’s bedroom seamlessly.
Check out the rest of the 2025/2026 Broadway @ the Ordway season. Up next is Mrs. Doubtfire: A New Musical Comedy (March 17 - March 22), Monty Python’s Spamalot (June 10 - 14), and Six The Musical (June 17 - 28) round out the rest of the 2025/2026 season. A National Tour of Dirty Dancing The Musical will be launching from the Ordway with the dates of August 12 - September 6, 2026. Check out www.ordway.org for tickets.
